Back to Authors

Rampal, Raajit K.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0355-6368

Mayo Clinic

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Citations 64

Proposals for revised International Working Group–European LeukemiaNet criteria for anemia response in myelofibrosis
Tefferi, Ayalew , Barosi, Giovanni , Hernández‐Boluda, Juan Carlos , Bose, Prithviraj , Döhner, Konstanze , Gangat, Naseema , Garcia, Jacqueline S. , Gisslinger, Heinz , Gupta, Vikas , Harrison, Claire , Loscocco, Giuseppe Gaetano , Mora, Barbara , Odenike, Olatoyosi, Pardanani, Animesh , Patel, Anand , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Rampal, Raajit K. , Sirhan, Shireen , Vachhani, Pankit , Vannucchi, Alessandro M., Barbui, Tiziano , Hernández-Boluda, Juan Carlos , Bose, Prithviraj , Gangat, Naseema , Garcia, Jacqueline S , Gupta, Vikas , Hexner, Elizabeth , Hobbs, Gabriela S , Koschmieder, Steffen , Kuykendall, Andrew , Loscocco, Giuseppe Gaetano , Mascarenhas, John , Masarova, Lucia , Mesa, Ruben , Oh, Stephen T , Patel, Anand , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Rambaldi, Alessandro , Szuber, Natasha , Vachhani, Pankit , Barbui, Tiziano , Passamonti, Francesco , Ellis, Martin H. , Gotlib, Jason , Guglielmelli, Paola , Hexner, Elizabeth O. , Hobbs, Gabriela , Kiladjian, Jean‐Jacques , Koschmieder, Steffen , Kröger, Nicolaus , Mascarenhas, John , Masárová, Lucia , Mesa, Ruben A. , Odenike, Olatoyosi , Oh, Stephen T. , Rambaldi, Alessandro , Szuber, Natasha , Talpaz, Moshe

Blood | August 8, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: 17 | Pages: 1813-1820

10.1182/blood.2024025802 Get It

Abstract With emerging new drugs in myelofibrosis (MF), a robust and harmonized framework for defining the severity of anemia and response to treatment will enhance clinical investigation and facilitate interstudy comparisons. Accordingly, the lead authors on the 2013 edition of the International Working Group–European LeukemiaNet (IWG-ELN) response criteria in MF were summoned to revise their document with the intent to (1) account for gender-specific differences in determining hemoglobin levels for eligibility criteria; (2) revise the definition of transfusion-dependent anemia (TDA) based on current restrictive transfusion practices; and (3) provide a structurally simple and easy to apply response criteria that are sensitive enough to detect efficacy signals (minor response) and also account for major responses. The initial draft of the 2024 IWG-ELN proposed criteria was subsequently circulated around a wider group of international experts and their feedback incorporated. The proposed articles include new definitions for TDA (≥3 units in the 12 weeks before study enrollment) and hemoglobin thresholds for eligibility criteria (<10 g/dL for women and <11 g/dL for men). The revised document also provides separate (TDA vs non-TDA) and graded (major vs minor response) response criteria while preserving the requirement for a 12-week period of screening and observation on treatment.
Mixed histiocytic neoplasms: A multicentre series revealing diverse somatic mutations and responses to targeted therapy
Friedman, Joshua, Yabe, Mariko , Petrova‐Drus, Kseniya , Pulitzer, Melissa , Busam, Klaus J. , Rampal, Raajit K. , Ulaner, Gary A. , Reddy, Ryan , Yeh, Randy , Rotemberg, Veronica , Hershkovitz‐Rokah, Oshrat , Shpilberg, Ofer , Abeykoon, Jithma P. , Fidai, Shiraz , Gannamani, Vedavyas, Zia, Maryam, Panageas, Katherine S. , Rosenblum, Marc K. , Durham, Benjamin H. , Reiner, Anne S , Mazor, Roei D , Hershkovitz-Rokah, Oshrat , Goyal, Guarav , Abeykoon, Jithma P , Diamond, Eli L , Ulaner, Gary , Reiner, Anne S. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Francis, Jasmine H. , Hatzoglou, Vaios , Lacouture, Mario E. , Mazor, Roei David , Goyal, Gaurav , Go, Ronald S. , Rech, Karen L. , Morlote, Diana M. , Abdel‐Wahab, Omar , Diamond, Eli L.

British Journal of Haematology | April 13, 2024 | Volume: 205 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 127-137

10.1111/bjh.19462 Get It

Summary Histiocytic neoplasms are diverse clonal haematopoietic disorders, and clinical disease is mediated by tumorous infiltration as well as uncontrolled systemic inflammation. Individual subtypes include Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), Rosai–Dorfman–Destombes disease (RDD) and Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD), and these have been characterized with respect to clinical phenotypes, driver mutations and treatment paradigms. Less is known about patients with mixed histiocytic neoplasms (MXH), that is two or more coexisting disorders. This international collaboration examined patients with biopsy‐proven MXH with respect to component disease subtypes, oncogenic driver mutations and responses to conventional (chemotherapeutic or immunosuppressive) versus targeted (BRAF or MEK inhibitor) therapies. Twenty‐seven patients were studied with ECD/LCH (19/27), ECD/RDD (6/27), RDD/LCH (1/27) and ECD/RDD/LCH (1/27). Mutations previously undescribed in MXH were identified, including KRAS, MAP2K2, MAPK3, non‐V600‐BRAF, RAF1 and a BICD2‐BRAF fusion. A repeated‐measure generalized estimating equation demonstrated that targeted treatment was statistically significantly (1) more likely to result in a complete response (CR), partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) (odds ratio [OR]: 17.34, 95% CI: 2.19–137.00, p = 0.007), and (2) less likely to result in progression (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03–0.23, p < 0.0001). Histiocytic neoplasms represent an entity with underappreciated clinical and molecular diversity, poor responsiveness to conventional therapy and exquisite sensitivity to targeted therapy.
Treatment of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): focus on the use of tagraxofusp and clinical considerations
Pemmaraju, Naveen , Madanat, Yazan F. , Rizzieri, David A. , Fazal, Salman, Rampal, Raajit K. , Mannis, Gabriel N. , Wang, Eunice S. , Foran, James M. , Lane, Andrew A. , Rizzieri, David A , Rampal, Raajit K , Foran, James M , Wang, Eunice S. , Madanat, Yazan , Lane, Andrew A

Leukemia & Lymphoma | February 23, 2024 | Volume: 65 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 548-559

10.1080/10428194.2024.2305288 Get It

Interferons in the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms
Vachhani, Pankit , Mascarenhas, John , Bose, Prithviraj , Yacoub, Abdulraheem , Palmer, Jeanne , Rampal, Raajit K. , Verstovšek, Srđan , Palmer, Jeanne M , Verstovsek, Srdan , Bose, Prithviraj , Mascarenhas, John , Hobbs, Gabriela , Gerds, Aaron T. , Masárová, Lucia , Kuykendall, Andrew , Mesa, Ruben A.

Therapeutic Advances in Hematology | February 20, 2024 | Volume: 15 | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1177/20406207241229588 Get It

Interferons are cytokines with immunomodulatory properties and disease-modifying effects that have been used to treat myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) for more than 35 years. The initial use of interferons was limited due to difficulties with administration and a significant toxicity profile. Many of these shortcomings were addressed by covalently binding polyethylene glycol to the interferon structure, which increases the stability, prolongs activity, and reduces immunogenicity of the molecule. In the current therapeutic landscape, pegylated interferons are recommended for use in the treatment of polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. We review recent efficacy, molecular response, and safety data for the two available pegylated interferons, peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) and ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (BESREMi). The practical management of interferon-based therapies is discussed, along with our opinions on whether to and how to switch from hydroxyurea to one of these therapies. Key topics and questions related to use of interferons, such as their safety and tolerability, the significance of variant allele frequency, advantages of early treatment, and what the future of interferon therapy may look like, will be examined. Pegylated interferons represent an important therapeutic option for patients with MPNs; however, more research is still required to further refine interferon therapy.
Phase 2 study of add-on parsaclisib for patients with myelofibrosis and suboptimal response to ruxolitinib: final results
Yacoub, Abdulraheem , Borate, Uma , Rampal, Raajit K. , Ali, Haris , Gerds, Aaron T. , Kremyanskaya, Marina , Winton, Elliott F., Goel, Swati , Schiller, Gary J. , McCloskey, James, Palmer, Jeanne , Holmes, Houston, Hager, Steven, Assad, Albert , Erickson‐Viitanen, Susan, Zhou, Feng , Gerds, Aaron T , Goel, Swati , Oh, Stephen T , Palmer, Jeanne M , Daver, Naval , Wang, Eunice S. , Hobbs, Gabriela , O'Connell, Casey Lee , Oh, Stephen T. , Daver, Naval

Blood Advances | January 30, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 1515-1528

10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011620 Get It

Abstract Ruxolitinib reduces spleen volume, improves symptoms, and increases survival in patients with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis. However, suboptimal response may occur, potentially because of signaling via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B pathway. This phase 2 study evaluated dosing, efficacy, and safety of add-on PI3Kδ inhibitor parsaclisib for patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis with suboptimal response to ruxolitinib. Eligible patients remained on a stable ruxolitinib dose and received add-on parsaclisib 10 or 20 mg, once daily for 8 weeks, and once weekly thereafter (daily-to-weekly dosing; n = 32); or parsaclisib 5 or 20 mg, once daily for 8 weeks, then 5 mg once daily thereafter (all-daily dosing; n = 42). Proportion of patients achieving a ≥10% decrease in spleen volume at 12 weeks was 28% for daily-to-weekly dosing and 59.5% for all-daily dosing. Proportions of patients achieving ≥50% decrease at week 12 in Myelofibrosis Symptom Assessment Form and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Symptom Assessment Form symptom scores were 14% and 18% for daily-to-weekly dosing, and 28% and 32% for all-daily dosing, respectively. Most common nonhematologic treatment-emergent adverse events were nausea (23%), diarrhea (22%), abdominal pain and fatigue (each 19%), and cough and dyspnea (each 18%). New-onset grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia were observed in 19% of patients, each dosed daily-to-weekly, and in 26% and 7% of patients dosed all-daily, respectively, managed with dose interruptions. Hemoglobin levels remained steady. The addition of parsaclisib to stable-dose ruxolitinib can reduce splenomegaly and improve symptoms, with manageable toxicity in patients with myelofibrosis with suboptimal response to ruxolitinib. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02718300.
Impact of Symptom Benefit and Transfusion Response on Survival in Myelofibrosis Patients Treated with Pacritinib: PERSIST-2 Landmark Survival Analysis
Ajufo, Helen, Harrison, Claire , Palmer, Jeanne , Buckley, Sarah , Roman‐Torres, Karisse, Rampal, Raajit K. , Bewersdorf, Jan Philipp , Palandri, Francesca , Mascarenhas, John , Gerds, Aaron T. , Kiladjian, Jean‐Jacques , Derkach, Andriy

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3207-3207

10.1182/blood-2023-177643 Get It

Background: Pacritinib is a JAK1-sparing inhibitor of JAK2/IRAK1/ACVR1 that demonstrated symptom benefit measured by TSS (v2.0, excluding tiredness) vs best available therapy (BAT) in PERSIST-2, which enrolled cytopenic myelofibrosis patients with platelets ≤100×10 9/L. Recent datashowed that in patients with cytopenic MF, a ≥10% reduction in spleen volume at 12 weeks is associated with improved survival in patients treated with pacritinib ( Ajufo H, et al., J Clin Oncol;2023:14(16):Suppl). Surprisingly, this association was not confirmed in patients treated with BAT (82% of whom were on ruxolitinib). The association between other important measures of clinical benefit such as symptom burden reduction and anemia improvement on survival in patients treated with pacritinib has not previously been described. Methods: Patients randomized to pacritinib 200 mg BID and to BAT on PERSIST-2 were included if they were alive and on study at the start of the week 12 efficacy assessment period. Survival was assessed by Total Symptom Score (TSS; v2.0 excluding tiredness) reduction at various thresholds (≥50%, ≥20%, ≥10%, &gt;0%) and transfusion independence (TI) response. TI was assessed among patients who required red blood cell (RBC) transfusion at baseline (within 90 days) and was defined, for the purposes of a landmark survival analysis, as the absence of RBC transfusions over any 12-week period from first dose through week 14 (allowing for a ±2-week window around week 12). Overall survival (OS) was estimated via the K-M method following the landmark approach; survival in responders vs non-responders was compared using the log-rank test. Results: Of the 59 patients treated with pacritinib who had a reduction of TSS≥10%, the median age was 67 years, 25% had a baseline high-risk DIPSS, median platelet count was 61 x10 9/L, median hemoglobin was 9.7 g/dL, and baseline TSS was 19.1. Reduction of TSS≥10% was associated with improved OS, with 1 death among 59 responders vs 4 deaths among 30 non-responders (hazard ratio [HR]=0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.79] P=0.021, Fig 1a). Similar to spleen volume reduction, the association between TSS response and OS weakened at more stringent TSS response thresholds (Fig 1c, e), with the BAT arm not showing an association between TSS response and OS at any threshold. (Fig 1b, d, f). In order to assess the relationship of specific TSS domains and survival , a landmark OS analysis was performed based on ≥20% reduction in physical function scores (sum of ‘tiredness’ and 'inactivity'), spleen-related symptom scores (sum of 'abdominal discomfort', ‘early satiety’, and 'left rib pain'), and cytokine-related symptom scores (sum of 'itching', ‘night sweats’, and ‘bone pain‘). For cytokine-related symptoms, the number of deaths in PAC responders was significantly different compared to non-responders, with 0 deaths among 35 responders vs 2 among 15 non-responders ( P=0.0325). Conversely the deaths among responders (2/22) vs non-responders (2/20) were not significantly different in the BAT arm. For the physical function and spleen-related symptom subscales, no significant differences between PAC responders and non-responders was observed (HR=0.60; 95% CI [0.05, 6.74] P=0.679) and (HR=0.26; 95% CI 0.02, 2.93, P=0.2435) respectively. Among 36 patients on PAC who received RBC transfusions at baseline, 7 achieved TI over at least a 12-week period up to the time of the landmark analysis. There were no deaths among TI responders compared to 2 (6.9%) among TI non-responders. There were too few TI responders on BAT (only 2 out of 38) to assess the impact on survival. Conclusion: In cytopenic myelofibrosis patients enrolled in PERSIST-2, having a reduction of TSS≥10% on full-dose PAC was associated with OS benefit - a finding that has not been noted with other JAK inhibitors to date. By contrast, this association was not found with BAT, (82% of these patients received ruxolitinib). Thus, reductions in TSS in patients treated with PAC were associated with an OS benefit. It is possible that pacritinib, with its distinctive mechanism of action, may offer a unique survival advantage for MF patients with moderate or severe thrombocytopenia, and further studies are required to understand the potential mechanisms of these distinct clinical observations. Study funded by CTI BioPharma Corp., a Sobi company.
Clinical Factors but Not Somatic Mutations Predict for Survival in Patients with Myelofibrosis Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant: Analysis of the North American Myelofibrosis Transplant Outcome (NAMTO) Study
Ajufo, Helen, Rampal, Raajit K. , Famulare, Christopher , Chervin, Jordan , Ho, Vincent T. , Deeg, H. Joachim , Monahan, Tim, Jones, Richard J. , Palmer, Jeanne , Keyzner, Alla , Lagdameo, Jonathan, Gomez-Arteaga, Alexandra , Puzo, Christian, Kosuri, Satyajit, Amanam, Idoroenyi , Tamari, Roni , Derkach, Andriy , Nemirovsky, David , Gupta, Vikas , Viswabandya, Auro , Monahan, Tim M. , Jain, Tania , Gerds, Aaron T. , Besien, Koen van , Podoltsev, Nikolai

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3181-3181

10.1182/blood-2023-173441 Get It

Introduction: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a clonal hematologic malignancy characterized by constitutive JAK-STAT activation and aberrant cytokine signaling. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains the only potentially curative therapy in MF. The contribution of disease-, patient- and donor-related factors to allo-HCT outcomes remains to be fully elucidated, as well as the presence of somatic mutations in genes such as ASXL1, EZH2, SRSF2, U2AF1 and IDH1/2 which are associated with worse prognosis in MF patients (pts). In this large multi- center retrospective analysis, we aimed to study the impact of clinical and molecular mutations on transplant outcomes. Methods: This analysis including 498 pts from 11 centers in North America and Canada. Univariate proportional-hazard Cox regression analysis stratified by center was used to assess the association of patient, transplant, and disease characteristics on overall survival (OS). Baseline patient demographic data and disease characteristics were selected as covariates in the multivariate analysis. Results: Pts transplanted between 2002-2021 were included in this analysis. Baseline and transplant characteristics are summarized in table 1. The 1- and 2-year OS was 77% (95% CI; 73-81) and 70% (95% CI; 66-74) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) 19% (95% CI: 17-21) and 23% (95% CI: 19-27), respectively. The cumulative incidence (CMI) of relapse at 1- and 2-years was 12% (95% CI; 10-14) and 16% (95% CI; 12-20). The CMI of acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) grade II-IV was 31% (95% CI; 27-35) at 3 months and 42% (95% CI; 38-46) at 1-year post-transplant and grade was III-IV 13% (95% CI; 11-15) and 18% (95% CI; 14-22), respectively. The CMI of neutrophil engraftment at 1 and 3 months was 90% (95% CI: 87-93) and 97% (95% CI: 95-95) and for platelets 55% (95% CI: 50-59) and 80% (95% CI: 76-83). Univariate analysis included pts (age and gender), transplant (donor type and conditioning regimen intensity) and disease characteristics (DIPSS, mutations, cytogenetics (CG), blood counts, and spleen size). Hemoglobin &gt; 10 g/dL (HR .5, 95% CI .34 -.73 p=3 x 10 -4) and platelets &gt;50× 10 9/L (HR .59, 95% CI .42-.81, p=.0013) prior to transplant were associated with improved OS. High risk DIPSS was associated with decreased OS (p=0.0002). Mutations in ASXL1, EZH2, IDH1/2, U2AF1 and SRSF2 were not associated with decreased OS in this analysis (Figure 1). However, mutations in ZRSR2 were associated with inferior OS (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.08-3.95, p=.0252). Lastly, JAK2 which had the most frequent mutations was not associated with OS (HR .0.93, 95% CI .65-1.31). There was no association between the CG risk groups and OS. Splenomegaly, measured radiographically, had no impact on OS but was strongly associated with engraftment (better engraftment defined as HR&gt;1). For platelets, spleen size of 15.6-18.9 cm HR of 0.69 (95% CI .47-1, p=.0489) and size &gt;18.9-22.5 cm HR of 0.48 ( 95% CI .33-.7, p=1x10^-4). For neutrophils, spleen size &gt;19.9-22.5 cm had a HR of 0.68, (95% CI .48-.96, p=.0268) and size&gt;22.5 cm had a HR of 0.65 (95% CI .46-.91, p=.0114). Mismatched unrelated (MMURD) and haplo identical donors had no impact on survival but were associated with delayed platelet engraftment; MMURD (HR .67, 95% CI .47-.96, p=.0298) and haploidentical donors (HR .56, 95% CI .39-.8, p=.0017). In a multivariate analysis adjusted for age, gender, highest DIPSS, donor type and conditioning regimen, platelets &gt; 50× 10 9/L (HR .61, 95% CI .44-.87, p=.0053) hemoglobin &gt;10 g/dL (HR .6, 95% CI .4-.9, p=.0244) and lower DIPSS at the time of transplant were associated with improved OS. Conclusions: In this large multicenter analysis only clinical variables; hemoglobin and platelets, were found to be associated with OS after allo-HCT in MF patients. Somatic mutations associated with poor prognosis were not associated with OS suggesting that transplant can overcome their negative impact. Splenomegaly was associated with delayed engraftment but not OS. Interestingly, using alternative donors (MMURD and haplo identical) didn't have a negative effect on OS, possibly reflecting the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide for GVHD prophylaxis in recent years. These results highlight the importance of biologic factors in the prognostication of outcomes in MF pts undergoing allo-HCT independent of somatic mutations. Supported by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and MPN Research Foundation
A Phase 1 Study of Avapritinib in Combination with Decitabine in Patients with Systemic Mastocytosis with an Associated Hematologic Neoplasm
Ball, Somedeb , Yi, Cecilia Y. Arana , Tashi, Tsewang , Rampal, Raajit K. , Pettit, Kristen , Padron, Eric , Pettit, Kristen , Kuykendall, Andrew , Gotlib, Jason , Yi, Cecilia Arana , DeAngelo, Daniel J. , Volpe, Virginia O. , Komrokji, Rami S.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 6441-6441

10.1182/blood-2023-184652 Get It

Background and Rationale: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a clonal hematologic neoplasm characterized by abnormal accumulation of mast cells which can lead to symptoms related to mast cell degranulation and/or, in the case of advanced systemic mastocytosis (AdvSM), organ dysfunction due to mast cell infiltration. AdvSM is a category of SM comprised of aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM), mast cell leukemia (MCL), and SM with an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN). Among these, SM-AHN is the most common subtype, accounting for approximately 70% of AdvSM. A KIT D816V mutation found in up to 95% of SM cases is the primary oncogenic driver, making it a key therapeutic target. Avapritinib, a highly potent and selective inhibitor of D816V mutant KIT, has demonstrated high rates of rapid, deep, and durable responses in all AdvSM subtypes, including SM-AHN. However, a recent analysis of the EXPLORER study showed that avapritinib-treated patients were still at risk for progression of the AHN component, despite continued control of mast cell disease burden, indicating that combination therapy is likely to be required for optimal control of SM-AHN due to its inherent molecular complexity. Hypomethylating agents (HMA) form the backbone of therapy for advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN), hematologic neoplasms most likely to co-occur with SM in patients (pts) with SM-AHN. To date, the combination of HMA and KIT inhibitors has not been clinically evaluated. In this study, we aim to assess the safety and tolerability of the combination of avapritinib and decitabine in patients with SM-AHN. Study design: The primary objective of the study is to establish the recommended dose (RP2D) of avapritinib in combination with decitabine based on dose-limiting toxicity, overall safety, and clinical activity data. A dose evaluation steering committee (DESC) comprised of participating investigators will review the totality of safety and efficacy data to determine RP2D. Secondary endpoints include SM overall response rate by the end of 6 cycles by the m-IWG consensus criteria and proposed ECNM-AIM criteria ( Gotlib et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2022), as well as incidence and frequency of adverse events. Exploratory endpoints will consist of patient reported outcomes, progression free survival, overall survival, and correlative biomarkers linked to mast cell disease or AHN. Adult pts with a diagnosis of SM-AHN by the WHO 2022 classification criteria will be eligible for inclusion. Eligible pts must have any of the following myeloid AHN per WHO 2022 criteria: MDS, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, MDS/MPN with neutrophilia, MDS/MPN with SF3B1 mutation and thrombocytosis, or MDS/MPN- not otherwise specified. Patients with MDS must have intermediate, high- or very-high risk by IPSS-R. Patients with very-low or low-risk MDS by IPSS-R must be intolerant/refractory to ESA or have serum EPO &gt; 200 U/L. A baseline platelet count of ≥ 75 x 10 9/L and ≥ 25 x 10 9/L will be required for inclusion in the dose-finding and the dose-expansion phases, respectively (Figure). Key exclusion criteria include a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, history of intracranial hemorrhage or risk of major hemorrhage, prior treatment with avapritinib or decitabine with documented progression in SM or AHN component, respectively, or history of treatment with alternative KIT inhibitor or azacitidine within 4 weeks of study treatment initiation. In the dose finding part of the study, a Bayesian adaptive design will be employed to assess different doses of avapritinib (50 to 200 mg PO daily) in combination with fixed doses of decitabine (oral decitabine/cedazuridine: 35/100 mg/day or intravenous decitabine: 20 mg/m 2/day on days 1-5) in a 28-day treatment cycle. Close attention will be paid to treatment-emergent thrombocytopenia with protocol-driven treatment holds and dose modification strategies employed when platelet count drops below 50 x 10 9/L. After RP2D is determined, an additional 10 patients will be enrolled in the dose expansion phase. Patients with platelet count ≥ 25 x 10 9/L and &lt; 75 x 10 9/L, will receive lead-in dosing with decitabine or decitabine/cedazuridine with the ability to add avapritinib if sufficient platelet thresholds are achieved. This study will open at 7 sites in the United States and is anticipated to open in January 2024.
Long-Term Outcomes with Single-Agent BRAF-Inhibitor Therapy in Erdheim-Chester Disease
Reiner, Anne S. , Bossert, Dana, Sigler, Allison , Buthorn, Justin J. , Rotemberg, Veronica , Rampal, Raajit K. , Reiner, Anne S , Goyal, Gaurav , Lacouture, Mario E. , Francis, Jasmine H. , Go, Ronald S. , Diamond, Eli L.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4557-4557

10.1182/blood-2023-184879 Get It

Introduction The treatment of Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) has been revolutionized by the discovery of MAPK/ERK pathway mutations, most common being BRAF-V600E (50%). The US-FDA approved single-agent vemurafenib for BRAF-V600-mutated ECD in 2017 based on a phase II trial that included 22 patients with ECD and 4 with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), resulting in 100% overall response rate (ORR) by FDG-PET criteria (Diamond et al. JAMA Onc 2018). However, adverse events (AEs) to vemurafenib led to treatment interruption and/or dose modification in all patients, and drug discontinuation in 8 (31%) patients. Long-term outcomes and tolerability of BRAF-inhibitor (BRAFi) monotherapy in real world setting are unknown. In this study, we aimed to address these questions utilizing a large cohort of patients with ECD. Methods Registry-based ( NCT03329274) study of patients with ECD who received BRAFi (vemurafenib or dabrafenib) as any line of treatment. The registry captures detailed longitudinal clinical, treatment, and outcomes data through medical record abstraction. For this study, we focused on the events of discontinuation, dose reductions, and AEs to BRAFi therapy. Time-to-event analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier method from the date of initiation of BRAFi. Primary endpoint of the study was event-free survival (EFS), defined as time to progression of disease, discontinuation or alteration of therapy due to any cause (including addition of a MEK inhibitor), or death. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), defined as time to progression of disease or death, and overall survival (OS). Results We included 64 patients with ECD (including 7 with mixed ECD/LCH) in this study. Median age at diagnosis was 56y (range, 26-77) and at initiation of BRAFi was 57y (range, 26-77). Of these, 59 (92%) were BRAF-V600E, 2 (3.1%) were BRAF-wildtype, 1 had BRAF-V471F, 1 had BRAF-PICALM fusion, and 1 had unknown BRAF status. The distribution of organ involvement was bone (91%), neurologic (78%), brain parenchyma (62%), cardiovascular (58%), retroperitoneum (58%), skin (25%), and pulmonary (19%). BRAFi therapy was used as first-line in 38 (59.3%) and as subsequent line in the rest (median 1, range 1-7). The most common initial BRAFi used was vemurafenib (80%) followed by dabrafenib (20%). The median starting dose of vemurafenib was 720 mg bid (range 480-960) and end dose was 480mg bid (range, 240-480). The median start dose of dabrafenib was 100mg bid (range 50-150) and end dose was 50mg bid (range 50-100). Initial dose reduction of BRAFi was required due to AEs in 28 of 52 cases (54%) with final dose data available, encompassing cutaneous (43%), generalized symptoms or fatigue (18%), &gt;1 system affected (14%), lab abnormalities (11%), musculoskeletal (7%), and other (7%) toxicities. Of 60 patients with response data, a response was seen in 51 patients or 85% (42 partial response, 9 complete response, 8 stable disease, and 1 progressive disease). The median follow-up duration was 3.9 years (range 0.2-8.8). Single-agent BRAFi therapy was discontinued in 38 (59%) patients who received it initially (vemurafenib 63% vs. dabrafenib 46%, p=0.28). Reasons for discontinuation included AEs (n=20, 53%), addition of MEK-inhibitor (18%) for reducing cutaneous toxicities (n=5) or augment CNS response (n=2), disease progression (n=4, 11%), death (n=3, 8%), or others (n=4, 11%). 17 patients were rechallenged with a BRAFi after initial discontinuation, and 6 (35%) discontinued it again. The median EFS for the entire cohort from first BRAFi treatment was 2.99y (95% CI 1.6-4.8) and from second BRAFi was 2.82y (95% CI 1.19- not reached). The median PFS and OS were not reached, and 4 patients died at last follow-up (3 from ECD). Conclusions Almost 5 years after the FDA approval of vemurafenib for ECD, our real-world study from long-term follow-up of a large cohort of patients highlights high response rates, but at the cost of adverse events leading to dose reductions and treatment discontinuation in a large subset. Our results also highlight the entity of disease progression on BRAFi therapy. Our results underscore the importance of developing therapies that are efficacious and well-tolerated in this incurable disease.
A Phase 1b Trial of DISC-0974, an Anti-Hemojuvelin Antibody, in Patients with Myelofibrosis and Anemia
Gangat, Naseema , Foran, James M. , Rampal, Raajit K. , Novikov, Natasha, Buch, Akshay, Pelletier, Olivia, Savage, William, Tefferi, Ayalew , Halpern, Anna B.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4564-4564

10.1182/blood-2023-174922 Get It

Hepcidin, a central regulator of iron homeostasis, is pathologically elevated in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia. Chronic elevations in hepcidin contribute to the onset and severity of anemia. DISC-0974 is an investigational, first-in-class, monoclonal antibody that blocks hemojuvelin, a co-receptor in the bone morphogenetic protein-signaling pathway driving hepcidin expression. Preclinical studies have shown that DISC-0974 suppresses hepcidin and increases serum iron. A healthy volunteer study has demonstrated dose-dependent reductions in serum hepcidin, increases in serum iron with doses up to 56 mg administered subcutaneously, and increasing trends in reticulocyte count, reticulocyte hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, total hemoglobin (Hgb), and red blood cell count. In this Phase 1b/2a, open-label, multiple-ascending dose study (NCT05320198), we are assessing the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of DISC-0974 in patients with MF and anemia. Eligible participants include patients over 18 years of age with intermediate-2 or higher-risk MF and anemia. MF is required to be confirmed using the World Health Organization 2016 criteria. Anemia is defined per protocol as Hgb &lt; 10 g/dL or transfusion dependence, as defined by the International Working Group for Myelofibrosis Research and Treatment (IWG-MRT). A stable dose of hydroxyurea and/or Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor is allowed on trial. Major exclusion criteria include: liver iron concentration ≥ 7 mg/g dry weight; splenectomy; nutritional, genetic, infectious, or autoimmune causes of anemia. Dose escalation is based on a Bayesian optimal interval design with accelerated titration. Safety Review Committee assessments gate escalation decisions. Dosing occurs monthly for a total of 6 doses. Primary endpoints include safety and tolerability assessments of adverse events (AEs), clinical laboratory assessments, vital signs, physical examinations, and electrocardiograms. Secondary endpoints include anemia response as defined by the IWG-MRT, transfusion response as defined by a decrease of 50% in transfusion requirement over any 8-week period, standard PK parameters and PD metrics including serum hepcidin-25, iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin, and hematology biomarkers. All data are summarized using descriptive statistics. Initial data show a dose-related increase in pharmacokinetic parameters. DISC-0974 treatment led to dose-dependent reductions in serum hepcidin-25 and increases in serum iron levels. There have been no serious AEs or AEs leading to study withdrawal. Most AEs were mild, transient, and unrelated to DISC-0974. As of August 1, 2023, enrollment and dose escalation are ongoing. Safety, PK, and PD data from at least the first two cohorts will be presented.